Healthcare Beyond Hollywood
March 2025
By Alexa Dreyfus
Edited by Dannah Altiti
Hollywood’s newest favorite word, featured in headlines across a variety of news sources has arisen—Ozempic. Ozempic has spiked in popularity, as celebrities across the country are throwing the word around without understanding the implications. While the public may associate this word with weight loss, the impact of new GLP-1 medications is critical for preventing further symptoms of a range of health issues. GLP-1 medications, such as Ozempic, can be described as glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists used to regulate blood sugars by stimulating the pancreas to increase insulin production, while reducing appetite. Although they have been manufactured to be anti-obesity medications, they rather serve an immensely more critical purpose of managing and preventing symptoms. These symptoms include those of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and metabolic disorders.
Considering these additional benefits, GLP-1 medications have the magical ability to prevent cardiovascular disease, reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. The medications work by promoting glucose uptake, reducing blood pressure, and minimizing plaque formation. Thus, for obese patients that actively use medications like Ozempic for weight loss, they are now experiencing an unintentional added preventative benefit. This allows individuals to manage weight and cardiovascular diseases through the cost of one medication. As Walters and Hughes describe, GLP-1s produce a 12 to 18 percent weight loss, with a 10 percent weight loss being proven as increasing cardiometabolic health. Not only do these medications prevent future health complications, but they can also prevent the return of an existing condition. An FDA news release explains that this can mean lowering the risk of a stroke or heart attack in stroke and heart attack survivors, as well as other atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases.
Although the introduction of these drugs brings an immediate rise in healthcare costs, there may be a drop in future costs due to the work of preventing further complications and increased flares in symptoms. The UW-Madison Undergraduate Journal of Economics explains that the short-term cost of the pricey medication may be outweighed by the long-term health care costs. By reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and strokes, this allows for a reduction in future hospital bills, doctors’ visits, and other various healthcare costs that come along with health issues. Despite GLP-1 medications being expensive, the result of these new benefits and possibility of lowering future costs may lead to federal programs stepping in regarding their accessibility and their costs. Thus, policymakers are working to expand coverage for these medications through Medicare, as they may save healthcare systems costs relating to the treatment of these serious diseases.
Ultimately, new GLP-1 drugs are capturing global headlines while actively revolutionizing the medical field in ways that extend far beyond celebrity influence. These medications have the ability to lower healthcare costs, while preventing and treating a multitude of issues within patients. These medications are critical preventative tools that should be considered preventative intervention, rather than being labeled as simply a weight-loss drug. It is crucial to remember that the news may spread negative stereotypes about these medications, but the global health impact of them is much more significant than these outlets make it out to be.
References
“New Anti-Obesity Medications Should Be Considered Preventive Health Care.” Epstein Becker Green, www.ebglaw.com/insights/publications/new-anti-obesity-medications-should-be-considered-preventive-health-care. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
Commissioner, Office of the. “FDA Approves First Treatment to Reduce Risk of Serious Heart Problems Specifically in Adults with Obesity or Overweight.” U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-treatment-reduce-risk-serious-heart-problems-specifically-adults-obesity-or. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
“GLP-1, SGLT2 Medications May Lower Stroke Survivor’s Risk of Future Heart Attack, Stroke.” American Heart Association, newsroom.heart.org/news/glp-1-sglt2-medications-may-lower-stroke-survivors-risk-of-future-heart-attack-stroke. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
“A Heavy Price: The Economic and Social Costs of GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs.” Equilibrium, 9 Jan. 2025, equilibriumecon.wisc.edu/2025/01/09/a-heavy-price-the-economic-and-social-costs-of-glp-1-weight-loss-drugs/#:~:text=The%20widespread%20use%20of%20GLP,much%20more%20costly%20to%20treat.
professional, Cleveland Clinic medical. “GLP-1 Agonists.” Cleveland Clinic, 11 Oct. 2024, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/13901-glp-1-agonists.
Doylestownhealth.Org, www.doylestownhealth.org/blog/how-glp1-medications-like-ozempic-are-revolutionizing-weight-loss. Accessed 1 Mar.
